


I Need You Always

by CloversDreams



Category: Great Pretender (Anime)
Genre: Casual Discussion of Sex, Cynthia makes an appearance too, Established Relationship, Language, M/M, Makoto is so done with Laurent, but he also cant get enough, but its soft all the same, date night?? well probably... no one will SAY its a date, feelings sure are confusing, he just doesn’t realize it yet, in a frenemies with benefits kinda way, makoto has it bad, to offer a friendly ear and advice
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-09-25
Updated: 2020-09-25
Packaged: 2021-03-07 23:41:11
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,020
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26646184
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/CloversDreams/pseuds/CloversDreams
Summary: “Are you quite sure it’s hate that you’re feeling?” Cynthia asked as she tucked her hair behind her right ear. She applied lip gloss then rubbed her lips together and set it aside. Afterwards, she rested her chin in the palm of her hand and smiled sweetly into the camera. She tilted her head then asked, “Is there a chance that you might actually be in love with him?”“Absolutely not!” Makoto shrieked. He wasn’t proud of the way his voice cracked when he yelled that. Of all the crazy accusations, though! His cheeks hurt from how hard he was blushing suddenly. He slapped his hands over his eyes and shook his head furiously. “There’s just no way! It’s impossible!”“I see,” Cynthia replied. She tapped on her chin and thought for a moment then said, “Humor me for a second. Hypothetically, what would you do if he said that he was in love with you?”“I don’t know? Die?” Makoto replied without a thought. He frowned at his phone then grumbled, “What kind of question is that? He’s not that kind of guy.”
Relationships: Edamura Makoto/Laurent Thierry
Comments: 25
Kudos: 337





	I Need You Always

“I’m telling you, Cynthia! I can’t stand him at all!” Makoto shrieked as he paced back and forth in his living room. Somehow this video call had turned into him ranting about Laurent and there was no stopping it once that started. It simply had to run its course for a myriad of reasons. He grumbled some incoherent nonsense to himself about ‘how annoying that guy was’ then gritted his teeth.

“Oh really?” Cynthia asked casually. Her smile never wavered. Even on such a small screen it managed to be quite cheeky. That said, this wasn’t anything she hadn’t heard before. She knew all too well that it was in Laurent’s nature to drive people crazy. Some were more equipped to handle it than others.

“Yeah but his dick is just…” Makoto’s thought trailed off and he scrunched his face then shook his head. He let out a defeated sigh and admitted, “Frankly, it’s immaculate. It shouldn’t belong to a mere mortal.”

“Is that so?” Cynthia asked, her tone laced with her obvious amusement.

Makoto’s cheeks burned with his embarrassment but he couldn’t be bothered to care. She was the one that insisted he could talk to her about anything at all. You reap what you sow, as it were. This was the topic of the day. He looked over at where he’d propped up his phone on the coffee table then gestured wildly and replied, “Yeah! And the worst part is that he _knows_!”

He stomped his foot and squeezed his hands into fists. Though he was aware of just how childish the action must’ve looked, it didn’t matter. Not when he was in mid-rant about the biggest thorn in his side. “He’s always got that damn smirk on his face! As if he knows that he can just give me a look and I’ll fall into bed with him! It stays there even during sex! Who does that!”

Cynthia chuckled softly then reached up and pretended to tip a hat she wasn’t wearing. She winked and hummed, “Try turning around then, cowboy.”

“That just gives him access to the back of my neck, which leads to him whispering sexy things in my ear!” Makoto cried. He ran up to the phone and knelt down so he was eye-to-eye with the screen. He propped his hands up on the table, leaned in much closer than strictly necessary, then asked, “Do you have _any_ idea the kinds of filth that man is capable of spewing?”

Cynthia shook her head and hummed, “Can’t say that I do.”

Makoto flailed his arms dramatically and sat back on his knees. He threw his head back and waved a fist at the ceiling as he shouted, “It’s enough to kill a man!” He put both hands on his head and shook it vigorously. “Ahh! Dammit, I would absolutely jump his bones right now if he were here!”

“You seem conflicted,” Cynthia replied in her best motherly tone. That did nothing to hide the amused gleam in her eyes. Not that Makoto noticed with how lost he was in his own personal drama.

“Am not!” Makoto cried. He shook his fist in the air yet again and scowled as he exclaimed, “I hate him! Even more than that I hate the fact that I can’t quit him!”

“Are you quite sure it’s hate that you’re feeling?” Cynthia asked as she tucked her hair behind her right ear. She applied lip gloss then rubbed her lips together and set it aside. Afterwards, she rested her chin in the palm of her hand and smiled sweetly into the camera. She tilted her head then asked, “Is there a chance that you might actually be in love with him?”

“Absolutely not!” Makoto shrieked. He wasn’t proud of the way his voice cracked when he yelled that. Of all the crazy accusations, though! His cheeks hurt from how hard he was blushing suddenly. He slapped his hands over his eyes and shook his head furiously. “There’s just no way! It’s impossible!”

“I see,” Cynthia replied. She tapped on her chin and thought for a moment then said, “Humor me for a second. Hypothetically, what would you do if _he_ said that he was in love with you?”

“I don’t know? Die?” Makoto replied without a thought. He frowned at his phone then grumbled, “What kind of question is that? He’s not that kind of guy.”

“My, my, you still have so much to learn,” Cynthia hummed with a smile. She sat back from her camera and picked up a compact mirror. She examined her own reflection as she said, “Next time you see him take a minute to consider the situation. Is he really there just for sex or is there more to it? And would Laurent bother to waste his precious time on just anyone?”

“Are we talking about the same Laurent?” Makoto snorted. He rolled his eyes and crossed his arms then grunted, “We both know it’s the sex thing.”

“I wouldn’t be so quick to jump to conclusions,” Cynthia hummed. She winked and added, “He’s been quite taken with you since you met.”

“He sure had a funny way of showing it.” Makoto turned his head away and waved a dismissive hand at the camera. The list of shit he’d been through because of that guy since the day they’d met was horrendous. At the same time, he didn’t really have a direction for his life back then. He’d been suspended in a sort of limbo for a while. Then the blond appeared like a hurricane and turned his world upside down.

“That’s our Laurent for you.” Cynthia nodded.

The doorbell to his apartment buzzed and Makoto nearly jumped out of his skin with a surprised yelp. Oh, shit. He’d completely forgotten. He was in a mild panic as he looked back at the phone and whispered loudly, “He’s here! How do I look!”

Abigail stuck her head into frame and stared at him for a moment. She blinked then replied flatly, “Like someone that’s overly confident they’re about to get some immaculate dick.”

Cynthia chuckled behind her and Makoto frowned. He flipped Abigail off, to which she returned the favor, then said a soft goodbye and ended the call. He scurried over to the door and opened it. Of course Laurent was smiling that fucking smile of his. Makoto scowled at the taller man as he thought about how he should just kiss that look right off his stupid face. That’d show him. Probably.

“Ah, Edamame, I was beginning to think you weren’t home.” Laurent winked and continued to grin. He held up a bottle as he explained, “I brought wine. An excellent vintage that I might’ve scammed off an unnecessarily pompous fellow at a wine tasting a few years ago.”

“Yeah, whatever,” Makoto sucked his teeth and stepped aside to allow the blond entry. Laurent’s cologne wafted from him as he walked by and damn if it wasn’t the one he really liked. The twinge he felt in his gut and blush that crept into his cheeks proved that he was weak. Makoto continued to frown as he shut the door. He was _not_ embarrassed by Cynthia’s outlandish suggestion that he might love this man. Because that just wasn’t true. His pulse was racing for an entirely different reason. He’d figure it out eventually.

They wandered into the kitchen and Laurent hummed, “Smells good in here.”

Makoto’s gaze fell to the ground. He really wished he could get rid of the annoying feeling in his gut right now. It was weird and uncomfortable. He squeaked in surprise when he felt a soft kiss on the back of his neck. A shiver ran down his spine as he listened to the blond behind him speak in his native tongue.

“ _J'aurais pu choisir quelqu'un d'autre, mais j´aime que toi_ ,” Laurent purred right next to the shorter man’s ear. The smile on his face was practically audible.

Makoto quickly shooed him away. He rubbed the spot on his neck that he swore he could still feel the guy’s lips against and mumbled, “I’m not learning French for you so quit trying to convince me already.”

“But, _mon chéri_ , it is the language of love!” Laurent exclaimed. He slapped Makoto’s butt then laughed heartily when he squeaked in response. Laurent finally seemed to notice all the pots and pans on the stove. He made an intrigued sound then hummed, “What’s all this, anyway? Edamame did you cook?” He smiled from ear to ear when he saw just how pink Makoto’s cheeks were. “You might make a decent wife yet!”

“I’m not your wife!” Makoto shrieked. Yeah, he’d cooked. He’d also completely forgotten about it while ranting to Cynthia earlier. Sheesh, he really _was_ blinded by his feelings for Laurent. By that he meant anger, rage, annoyance, and a heaping amount of horniness. Those feelings. Nothing else.

“Yet,” Laurent hummed. He kissed Makoto’s cheek and then walked over to the drawer where the bottle opener was kept.

Makoto’s whole face burned as blush rushed to his cheeks. He muttered some nonsense about how they couldn’t live off of takeout but Laurent was too busy doing his own thing to notice. Makoto watched as the blond remove the cork from the wine bottle then made a victorious sound. Then he proceeded to get two glasses out of the cabinet and fill them. It just hit Makoto that this guy knew everything about his apartment. He was over enough that he didn’t have to ask where things were kept. When the heck had that happened?

He pushed the thought aside and busied himself with plating the food while Laurent set the glasses on the nearby table. Makoto couldn’t help but be distracted. The domesticity of this scene hit him like a ton of bricks. He truly had no idea when they’d gone from fuck buddies– read: one another’s plaything whenever the mood struck– to whatever _this_ was. The feeling of comfort in the air right now was astounding.

Makoto didn’t say much as they ate. That was fine since Laurent didn’t mind talking enough for the both of them. He could only pay partial attention to the blond’s outlandish stories. He was so distracted by what Cynthia said. If this was just a visit for sex they wouldn’t have to eat first. Laurent would show up, they’d get it over and done with, then he’d be gone. That was how things used to be. Had the shift to whatever this was been so gradual that Makoto hadn’t even noticed it? He couldn’t take the nagging question any longer. He simply blurted out the loudest thought running through his head.

“Is this a date? You’d tell me if it was a date, right?”

Laurent’s eyes widened for a mere second. His usual smirk quickly returned and he placed his left hand over his heart then shut his eyes. He waved his wine glass in the air as he declared, “My sweet Edamame, every single moment spent with you is–”

“Forget I asked!” Makoto cut off that nonsense before he could hear the whole thing. Then he rolled his eyes and shook his head. It should’ve been obvious that there wasn’t a point in asking directly. He turned his attention back to his food without another word.

“Have it your way,” Laurent chuckled. He continued to grin as he took another sip of his wine.

After dinner they had a brief argument about who should clean up. That ended in a compromise of them both helping out. Then the two of them made their way in the living room, both with glasses of wine in their hands. Makoto set his on the coffee table and sat on the couch. He noticed that Laurent was eyeing his phone, which was still set in its stand on the table. Did that look suspicious or something? It really wasn’t. Should he explain that or…? He pouted as he watched the blond look around.

Laurent finally found what it was he was looking for. He looked back at Makoto, smiled from ear to ear, and motioned to the Bluetooth speaker atop the nearby bookshelf. “Mind if I put on some music?”

“I guess not…?” Makoto was still confused. He didn’t know what this guy’s game was, but he’d figure it out.

“I’ve got a perfect playlist to set the mood.” Laurent explained as he fished his phone out of his pocket with his free hand. He connected it to the speaker and clicked a few times.

“What mood would that be?” Makoto asked.

Laurent winked then replied, “Give it a listen and you tell me.”

Music filled the room and Laurent immediately began to sway to it. He set his phone onto the table, sipped his wine, and started to sing along– in French. Of course it was in French. Though Makoto supposed it sounded nice enough even if he couldn’t understand it. The fact that Laurent hadn’t broken eye contact with him as he sang along made him want to squirm where he sat.

Makoto gasped in surprise when the blond danced his way around the table and offered him his hand. He shouldn’t take it. Not when Laurent had a grin like that upon his face. And yet, his body moved on its own. He supposed curiosity really did kill the cat as he was yanked to his feet.

A quick twirl away from him and Laurent put his now empty wine glass down onto the coffee table. Then he spun back towards the shorter man. Makoto gulped audibly when Laurent’s hand slid around his waist to his lower back. His heart skipped a beat and he couldn’t do anything but stare at the guy.

He was pulled up against the blond abruptly then Laurent took his hand with his free one and started to step side to side. It took Makoto an extra moment to register the fact that they were now slow dancing in time to the song. He followed Laurent’s lead, more in awe than anything else at the moment. They spun around and did their best not to trip over their own feet since they were just a bit lightheaded from all that wine with dinner.

The room was filled with the soft sound of their combined laughter. Makoto didn’t even know what was so funny, but he couldn’t seem to stop. As awkward as this whole thing was, it was also a lot of fun. This was something that people who liked each other did, wasn’t it? Or was the guy just messing with him as usual? Yeah, that did seem more likely. Makoto’s breath hitched in his throat when Laurent leaned into his personal space and continued to sing along softly.

“ _Et je n'y peux rien, Ton amour me tient, J'ai besoin de toi toujours_ …” Laurent’s grip on his waist tightened then he dipped Makoto backwards without warning.

Makoto’s eyes widened. He couldn’t even yelp in surprise like he usually would. All he could do was stare, completely entranced. The unmistakable adoration in those blue eyes, that warm smile… if he didn’t know any better he’d say that Laurent _did_ have feelings for him. No, it wasn’t possible. This thing of theirs was a shallow way to pass the time. Yep. He’d start believing that any second now.

It was when he saw that smirk return to Laurent’s face that he snapped out of his daze. It was the look that screamed ‘I know exactly what you’re thinking right now’ and it was usually right. Makoto couldn’t have that. He needed to do something unexpected, and fast. Without so much as a second thought he wrapped his arms around Laurent’s neck and kissed him.

The sudden action caught the blond by surprise and his resulting jolt knocked him off balance. They tumbled to the ground together then rolled onto their backs and chuckled softly. They turned to look at one another and Makoto watched as Laurent reached out to twist a strand of his dark hair around his fingers. He didn’t even know what he was so up in arms about earlier. Falling for this man would be so easy. His eyes widened and his cheeks immediately started to burn at the thought.

Their eyes met again and Makoto could see the curiosity in the blue ones that watched him so intently. He was probably making a super weird face or some shit. Makoto cleared his throat then averted his gaze and pouted as he muttered, “You, uh… wanna stay here tonight?”

The question had nothing to do with being in love with the man because Makoto certainly was _not_. He absolutely didn’t want to wake up and see Laurent’s stupid face lying next to him in the morning. Nope. Not that. It had everything to do with getting his back blown out before breakfast. That was the perfect way to start any day.

An affectionate gleam shined in Laurent’s eyes. He pulled Makoto closer then rubbed their noses together and hummed, “ _Oui_.”

No part of Makoto wanted to resist when the blond leaned in for a kiss. He melted into it instinctively then wrapped his arms around Laurent so he could tangle his hands in his hair. No matter what the feeling was that boiled within him at the very thought of this man, whether affection or rage, it was always intense. Laurent made him fire on all cylinders. Makoto wanted to both slap him and kiss him at any given moment. The wild and carefree emotions he felt were just as untamable as the blond himself.

Just when Makoto was sure that he couldn’t possibly melt into this man more than he already had, Laurent whispered the one word that broke him every time. He had no defense against it. This word should never be allowed to pass the blond’s lips. It made his heart flutter and sent a shiver down his spine then filled him with the overwhelming urge to kiss the man harder.

“Makoto…”

**Author's Note:**

> Oh Edamame you might want to learn French after all…  
>  _J'aurais pu choisir quelqu'un d'autre, mais j´aime que toi,_ (I could have chosen someone else, but I love you.)  
>  _Et je n'y peux rien. Ton amour me tient. J'ai besoin de toi toujours…_ (And I can't help it. Your love holds me. I need you always.)
> 
> Basically Laurent constantly tells Makoto how he feels about him!! All the time!! Cant be stopped, wont be stopped!! One day itll be in a language he actually understands :’3
> 
> This fic certainly was unexpected lmaoo. Watched the anime on a whim last week and here we are. I just love them so much and they refused to get out of my head until I wrote them something so who am I to deny a pair so stupidly in love!?!?!


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